This article explains how to set up and manage maternity protection correctly.

Personio automatically calculates the legally required maternity protection period if you enter an expected date of birth for an employee’s child.

Setting up maternity protection 

Note:
Before following these steps, ensure you have created a specific time off type for maternity protection. You then need to assign a time off policy to the employee for this time off type. You need to do this before creating or editing leave periods or adding children or editing child entries. Without a policy, the time off type doesn't appear in the dropdown and you cannot save any changes.

1. Go to the employee's profile > Personal info and go to the section containing the Children attribute. By default, this is HR information.
2. Click Edit > Add child. 
3. Enter the baby’s details. Leave the Actual birth date field empty for now.
4. Turn on the Enable maternity protection option.
5. Check the Multiple birth and Early birth boxes if applicable.
6. In Duration, enter the duration of the maternity protection period. Personio pre-populates this field with a period based on German regulations.
7. In Time off Type, select the time off type that you would like to add the resulting maternity protection period to.
   
8. Click Save > Submit.

Editing maternity protection

After the baby is born, follow these steps:

1. Go to the employee's profile > Personal info and go to the section containing the Children attribute.
2. Click Edit.
3. Click the pencil icon next to the previously entered date of birth.
4. Fill out the Actual birth date field.
5. Check the Multiple birth and Early birth boxes if that information has also changed.
6. Click Save > Submit.

Tip:
Read more about entering parental leave and long-term time off.